Hostel Przy Targu Rybnym

Overpriced

I had had an email conversation with this hostel before arriving but was told there was no need to make a reservation. From their first reply on 26 June to their second on 1st August, their prices had gone up 30PLN. However when we arrived, they had gone up another 50PLN to 250PLN ($108) for a double room with private bathroom. We tried to argue (in Polish) that their emails had indicated a lower price but the girl just shrugged, saying that this must have been a long time ago and we should have made a reservation. While not actually rude, she clearly could not have cared less. Also they don't take credit cards so that really cuts into your spending money. The room was tiny, with a small double bed and wafer thin mattress, a small bedside table with 2 small drawers and two small chairs (no drawers, no wardrobe, nowhere to hang anything). The bathroom was newly tiled but small enough to make it awkward when using the tiny sink and no ‘hook’ to hang the showerhead on – really annoying.

Basically it was a hostel type/size room at hotel prices (certainly for Poland). We stayed in 3 other places (2 hotels and an ‘agriturism’ farm) in Poland and paid only $40-$60/night. The other point was the service – in all other 3 places people were friendly and helpful. In this place the two 20 year old girls who ran it for the owner lacked any sense of hospitality. And this is not a language problem, the exchange above was conducted in my boyfriend’s fluent Polish. Another example is that there were no towels in the room so I went downstairs to ask for some. The girl was writing something when I arrived so I waited next to her for her to finish. When she finished writing she turned & walked past me without looking at me. I said ‘excuse me, can I have some towels please?’ and she turned, got them out of the cupboard and handed them to me without speaking or smiling. Just doesn’t make you feel at all welcome.

There was a computer with internet access (usually used by the girls running the place). The breakfast was tea/coffee, white bread, hard boiled eggs, cream cheese, meat paste, jam, honey, butter. The communal lounge with sofas was OK but people smoked there and 20 year olds got drunk some nights. The location is the best thing about it: 1 min walk from the river and delicious free soup some evenings.